Southern Anne Arundel residents urge council to revisit Discovery Village boat-ramp lease termination

Several southern Anne Arundel County residents and local waterway advocates told the County Council on July 21 that the council should reverse or revisit its June decision to terminate the county lease at Discovery Village Park and its public boat ramp.

At the start of the meeting’s public-invitation period, community leaders and users of the facility said the ramp drew steady traffic and supported nearby businesses. Julia House, president and CEO of the Southern Anne Arundel Chamber of Commerce, told the council the chamber “missed the amendment on the virtual June 10 meeting where the council voted on amendment number 54 where they decided to save $156,000 of the $914,037,000 Rec and Parks budget determined to terminate the lease at Discovery Village Park And Boat Ramp.” She said local stores, repair shops and restaurants saw increased customers because of ramp users and that the ramp “was being used more than a 100 times a year.”

Residents and watermen highlighted daily use of the ramp and access problems created by its loss. Bill Sherbo, president of the Anne Arundel County Watermen’s Association, said the ramp “is used every day of the week, 365 days a year,” and that the county’s prior decision was “rushed.” Paul Bush, who identified himself as from Shadyside, said he used the ramp often and that alternatives require long drives and are not safe for people towing large boats.

Advocates also questioned whether county staff fully presented funding sources and usage numbers. Sherbo said about $3 million has been invested in Discovery Village, including roughly $500,000 from the state Waterway Improvement Fund. House told the council she believed data provided to the body about how often the ramp was used was incorrect and urged the council to “look into that and to figure out what the real numbers are.”

Speakers representing broader access interests urged the council to pursue solutions beyond reversing the lease decision. Lisa Arrowsmith, chair of the county’s Public Water Access Committee, said a 2016–2018 county study that surveyed private marinas found little appetite among marina owners to provide public access; she said the county should retrieve that study before proposing private-public sticker approaches. Matt Minahan, chair of the Growth Action Network, argued the county should expand water access countywide and consider paying interested marinas an annual fee to increase public launch points.

Why it matters: Speakers said the ramp is an economic and recreational asset for a peninsular community and for commercial watermen; several asked the council to press the executive branch or revisit its June amendment. No vote or formal council action on Discovery Village occurred at the July 21 session; the comments entered the public record.

Community reaction and next steps: Multiple speakers asked the council to ask the county executive and Recreation and Parks to reopen the matter. Several speakers said they would supply records (usage logs, state grant records) to bolster their claims. The council did not take action on the topic during the meeting.